Inviting a J-1 Exchange Visitor to UT

The J-1 Exchange Visitor status facilitates scholars, researchers and professors to come to the United States for temporary periods for the purpose of educational exchange. Any international visitor who has sufficient academic training to benefit from an academic or professional program at a U.S. college or university may be eligible for this status. Exchange Visitors can be invited for a period of a few weeks up to five years. Remember, J-1 visa status is not an appropriate fit for tenured or tenure-track positions.

In order to request immigration documents for a J-1 Exchange Visitor, you will need to initiate a J-1 request through our international case management system myIO. You will need to attend a training session before gaining access, so please sign up for one of our monthly myIO training sessions if you have not already attended one. You will also need the scholar’s UT EID before initiating a J-1 request.

Once you initiate a J-1 request in myIO, you will need to fill out a few e-forms, through which the Sponsoring Professor and Department Chair will be notified to review and approve the J-1 Exchange Visitor’s stay. The invited Exchange Visitor will also be prompted to log in to myIO and provide biographical information.

If you would like to know the status of a J-1 request, you can log in to myIO and directly check the status of each submission.

Funding Requirements

The initial request by the hiring department can be for up to a maximum of five years. Verification of financial support is required. Funding may be from the university, the Exchange Visitor's government, personal funds or a combination of these sources. Documents verifying financial support from a source other than UT should be submitted to ISSS via myIO

For requests initiated before September 1, 2019, the funding requirements for visiting scholars and researchers are:

J-1 Scholar: $1,425/month

J-2 Spouse: $725/month

Each J-2 child: $300/month

For requests initiated on or after September 1, 2019, the funding requirements for visiting scholars and researchers are:

J-1 Scholar: $1,542/month

J-2 Spouse: $792/month

Each J-2 child: $333/month

212e Home Residency Requirement

The J status has special restrictions and requirements for the Exchange Visitor. The visitor may be subject to the "two-year home residency requirement" if funding is from government sources or if the academic area of the visitor is on the "Exchange Visitor's Skills List" for his/her country of last legal residence. Being "subject" to this requirement means that the visitor must return to the country of legal residence for two years immediately following completion of the J-1 program. A waiver may be requested, but is not guaranteed.

Insurance Requirement

J-1 Exchange Visitors are required by U.S Department of State to hold sufficient insurance coverage throughout the duration of the program.